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4/22/2011 2:37PM

digits: How to Turn Off Phone Location Services

There are ways for users to block the transmission of location information by Android devices and iPhones-although doing so limits important smartphone functions such as maps. WSJ's Jennifer Valentino explains.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... the Journal story earlier today ... and I posing Android phones are transmitting user locations back to Apple and ... Google will we do have some tips for how you can avoid those Global tractors and joining us on that to date industry that ... is Jennifer Valentino Gevrey's is in any sane system to hunt for Twitter ... WSJ's is a news editor and did it for me to believe blogger Jen you are working on this story tell us exactly how ... people can avoid ... these noble trackers ... what you say this is to turn on location services and that ... the this is a pain if you won these maps and a lot of important smartphone features than called for peace and that ... on on the site was uninjured and you can get the settings and hands ... chart application services and that means that ... the implication that of a stake in the end ... be sent back ... to me that if things you can see if you're concerned about particular AFP's getting this ... and you can on the I phone ... actually stopped acts from getting it ... and I enjoyed ... this year they have asked for permission before you can stop ... so ... if that's your consent a sophisticated going to add Googler Apple's ... heating Yuki antibank ... and Dennis Berman actually answer is News Hub at the upper deck is a dot com ... on that's it this is that you can just turn on off ... but he added is that for consumers ... I mean one thing you tell me that interesting is that you know I used to map sponged all the time so I thought to myself well ... I just assume a listing of my location we were mentioning is ... typically maybe it was it was ... only when you're using the map function but we are saying is what what's kind strangers that ... because of the Fonzo it's on it's not just when you're using a map function it's it's a new all-time great so I mean ... this is something that the companies have disclosed at Apple had written a letter to Congress actually added ... about similar issues and said go but as mentioned before that they're collecting this data they can barely ... um I think ... it's interesting to ... know whether consumers really knew ... how frequently they were being checked on the Android phones that we SA and a Weaver testing ... at ... weak side data being sent back here every every few minutes so it was regardless of whether you are in ... um so ... what what extent bubble of locations it seems like they're really ... two seconds during a meeting or ... any of this small section of people that are using smartphones that activity using unity and the location capabilities of the phones use checking out there checking in on great here and here am ... I the the people that the will of the more outraged by some of this at this data coming out that ... we knew that what what's the worst boxes are getting today ... up from readers ... about this the story ... a lot of people have been surprised by the tenants the Nikkei is ... added to that this is something they really surprised people who are covering technology are in the tech ... war on some Saturday disclosures in the past few days related to that I think ... people kind of knew this was going on ... the question when you're at and ... we'll be in ... worse than a well placed back end is at its engine years than other people are ... you might not realize that something is going in supplies of the people who aren't paying ... as much attention to it so I think that's kind of reaction ... to the beginning ... Genting's resigning as great